Today we are treated to a “Picked-up pieces” column from Shaughnessy. I suppose the format is tried and true if not a little tired. If you are going to use a “random thoughts” approach, however, you should try to come up with angles that are fresh and ones that are perhaps subtle. Get away from stating the obvious or stating things that have been discussed ad nauseum elsewhere. Probably too much to ask for from Shaughnessy.
CHB asks us to suppose if Barry Bonds get hot and show us up at Fenway with a chance to beat Aaron’s record. Suppose what Shank? Bonds home run chase is going to be a dominant story regardless of the venue I know we Boston fans think Fenway is the hub of the baseball universe but in this case, I don’t think the venue (whether Boston or Kansas City) is really going to change the dynamics of the attention that Bonds' home run chase will receive.
As for the nonsensical, what the heck is he talking about when he says, “Wish I'd known Boston College was playing at Notre Dame (Oct. 13) when I saw Charlie Weis in the press box at the RCA Dome Sunday night.” What’s the point of this statement?
Oh yeah, one more gratuitous shot…this time at Verne Ruhle. Long time Red Sox fans certainly know about Ruhle breaking Jim Rice’s hand with a pitch in 1975. What I did not know (and of course we do not learn this from Shank) is how highly Ruhle was regarded…picked that up in reading his obits. Rest in peace, Verne Ruhle. I think this Ruhle entry could have waited a few weeks or could have included a reference to his character.
Happy to give Shaughnessy a little credit – nice comment about Kathryn Nixon; a funny line about the Bengals latest arrest but I seriously doubt CHB came up with that himself; and an interesting tidbit about Dave McCarty and Wally the Green Monster (although Shaughnessy admits he is not the original source).
2 comments:
Another item: Gordon Edes already raised the issue of Bonds breaking the record at Fenway on the extra bases blog around noon on Thursday. Now, I don't think that Shank took the item from Edes. First, I do not imagine Shank is scouring the internet for info. Second, it strikes me as very likely that two Boston sports media members would come up with the same pointless and unlikely speculation. What is the point?
It further shows that the 'pieces' column is irrelevant. Only in the hands of a good writer can these short items provide an insight. More often the points are vague to point of meaningless. Also, as Dave points out, all the jokes and comments are old. In this era, I heard comments about most of these items on Sunday sports shows, sports radio, and Deadspin. If writers are going to get away with these mail-in pieces, they are going to have to work a little bit harder.
Db--thanks for the notes. We will need to touch base...I look forward to it.
Kind regards
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